Return to Tatooine
by StarboardJedi5
Summary: AU  Sixteen years after defeating the Sith, Anakin, Obi-Wan, Luke and Leia are sent to Tatooine to bring down Jabba. But old wounds are reopened and ghosts from Anakin's past resurface everywhere as the mission gets more personal...and more dangerous.
1. Chapter 1, Part 1

Return to Tatooine

Chapter 1

How long had it been? Anakin wondered to himself as the ship reentered real space, and the stars came back into focus. How long since he'd walked the sand dunes of his home planet, of this rock called Tatooine? He watched the beige orb orbit its twin suns. Twins, he thought, like his own children. Luke had piloted the ship here, jumping at the chance to fly, as he always did. Leia sat in the copilot seat, engrossed in a holobook. They were sixteen now; Jedi Padawans, but it seemed to Anakin that just yesterday they had been four years old, splashing with him in the lake on Naboo. If the twins were sixteen, the last time he'd been here must have been nearly twenty years ago. Twenty years that had flown by in an instant. Obi-Wan entered the cockpit, donning his Jedi cloak, and looking at Anakin.

"Are you all right?" He asked. Anakin paused for a moment, considering his answer.

"I didn't want to come back."

"You were the logical choice."

"But the choice was not mine."

"The Council thought it best."

"But Obi-Wan, I'm _on_ the Council."

"Anakin, it's been a long time since you were last here. I'm sure some things have gotten better."

"Not likely. Tatooine never changes. Besides, it isn't the present that worries me."

"You shouldn't dwell on the past."

"There are lots of memories for me here, Obi-Wan, and most are not happy ones."

"We can't let that get in the way of our assignment."

"I know, it's just…hard." Anakin looked down, staring intently at his boots, and Obi-Wan knew he was done speaking. He went over to Luke and Leia, taking a seat behind them.

"Have they given you any landing coordinates?"

"No, it's strange. There hasn't been any contact from the planet."

"They won't contact us. There isn't any standard landing procedure in a place like this. Just pick a spot near Anchorhead and set the ship down." Anakin explained to Luke, who complied, bringing the ship in over Tatooine's largest spaceport. "Come on Leia, time to go." Anakin told his daughter, but she was lost in her reading. He stepped closer, bending down next to her. "Leia?" She looked up, startled.

"Yeah?"

"We're here."

"Oh, sorry."

"Maybe you should leave the holonovel?"

"Yeah, I guess," She lay the holobook aside, and standing, swung her cloak over her shoulders. The four of them stepped into the bright light of a Tatooine afternoon. Already Anakin could feel the sand whipping around him, getting into every nook and cranny of his robes.

"I hate sand."

"Whoa!" Luke exclaimed and rushed over to a nearby shop. Parked in front of it were several pod racers. Anakin's children had heard the stories about their father's pod racing days, but had never actually seen a pod themselves. Leia followed her brother, and they gawked, admiring the designs and shaking their heads in disbelief as they read the speed records for each pod. A grisly looking old man emerged from the shop, and saw the twins inspecting his merchandise. Anakin sighed, and walked over to them.

"Don't even think about it." He warned.

"Come on, Dad. We're just looking."

"Listen to your father, kids. You wouldn't want to try flying one of those. Humans just ain't cut out for it. Only seen one human ever do it, and I don't suspect I'll ever see it done again."

"I bet I could fly it." Luke insisted. The man shook his head.

"Only Anakin Skywalker could race a pod, and he ain't been 'round these parts for decades."

"But I'm…" Luke started to say, but Anakin shook his head, and sent him a stern glance. Luke stopped mid-sentence, but reluctantly. Anakin didn't want to cause a scene, and he was pretty sure announcing that the pod racing champion, clone war hero and Jedi Master of legend had returned to his native planet would cause a commotion.

"Don't blow a circuit Dad. We'd never try anything as suicidal as pod racing." Leia assured him.

"This from the girl who spent the last two months with her arm in a cast because of injuries incurred during an illegal speeder bike race?" Leia shot him a reproachful look, but stepped away from the pod. Luke followed suite, and they continued through the streets.

"What was with you back there? We could have told that guy who you were."

"I didn't want to cause any trouble."

"Trouble? Dad, people worship pod champions here, we probably could have at least gotten a free dinner out of it."

"Is food the only thing you ever think about?" Leia chimed in. Luke just rolled his eyes. Obi-Wan had gone ahead of them, and seemed to have found a speeder shop where they could rent a vehicle. Anakin picked one out, after a lot of discussion and careful thought. Luke wanted something with top speed, while Leia preferred maneuverability to acceleration, and Obi-Wan would rather walk than have to fly in anything with the three Skywalkers, but didn't say as much aloud. The group piled in, and Anakin sped off into the desert of Tatooine, which he found he still knew like the back of his hand.

"Where are we headed?" Obi-Wan asked from the back seat, which he shared with Luke.

"Mos Eisley. Your Uncle Owen lives on a moisture farm near there."

"Did you tell them we were coming?" Leia asked.

"Well, no."

"Great." Sighed Leia, her voice thick with exasperation.

"I didn't think about it."

"You should have paid more attention to the key components of diplomacy when you were a Padawan."

"Don't quote your mother."

"I wasn't."

"Well, you sounded just like her."

"She is my mother, after all."

"Maybe you should have gone into politics instead of becoming a Jedi."

"Don't say that! There's nothing I would rather be than a Jedi Knight."

"I'm just giving you a hard time, Leia. Calm down."

"Hey, did you see that?" Luke asked, pointing towards a canyon in the distance. "Those guys just flew through that needle rock!"

"That's Beggar's Canyon. All the local kids race their T-16 Skyhoppers there. Next best thing to pod racing." Anakin told them as they passed the race.

"I could fly that canyon, it'd be a cinch."

"You're too confident."

"It's true though, Master Obi-Wan. You know I could."

"Yes Luke, I know."

"What's Mos Eisley like?"

"The under levels of Coruscant, but worse." Anakin answered. Leia made a face.

"Sounds delightful." Obi-Wan remarked.

"Haven't you been here before, Master Obi-Wan?"

"Yes, but I managed to avoid leaving the starship the entire time. I haven't been as fortunate on this trip though, and I imagine it can only get worse. Almost makes me nostalgic for…oh stars' end I don't even remember the last Force-forsaken place I was at."

"Kessel." Luke reminded him.

"Yes, it almost makes me nostalgic for Kessel."

"Not me," Luke said. "Kessel doesn't have pod racing."

"You're not going to let that drop are you?" Anakin inquired.

"I know I could do it. Might as well have some fun while were stuck on this rock."

"Excitement and adventure are not the want of the Jedi." Obi-Wan reminded him gently.

"Yes, Master, I know." Luke nodded his head, but Obi-Wan didn't think his apprentice would ever truly accept that particular Jedi mantra. He was too much like his father.


	2. Chapter 1, Part 2

The homestead wasn't exactly what Leia had envisioned. It was very small, and seemed to blend into its sandy environment a little too well. It was certainly a far cry from their residence in 500 Republica. She'd honestly never expected to see her relatives from Tatooine; of course, they weren't really related. Not by blood, just by a brief marriage between her grandmother and Cliegg Lars. Still, they were the closest thing she would ever have to family on her dad's side. As they approached the worn dome that housed the cool sublevel living quarters, a young man emerged from the house. Anakin brought the speeder to a stop, and leapt lightly from the cockpit, the others following his lead. He walked toward the young man, extending his hand in greeting.

"I'm Anakin Skywalker." He said as they shook hands. Surprise replaced curiosity in the man's face.

"I'm Gaard Lars, Owen's son."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. Is your father home?"

"No. He's repairing one of the vaporators with my brother. They should be back soon, if you'd care to wait. Supper's nearly ready. You can join us if you like. Mom is always happy to have company."

"We don't want to be any trouble."  
"Nah, no trouble at all. Like I said, Mom loves company."

"Alright."

"Come on, I'll take you inside." He looked at the other three visitors, seemed suddenly aware that they were there.

"Oh, um, this is my friend, Obi-Wan Kenobi." Obi-Wan bowed courteously to Gaard, who didn't seem to know quite what to do, but gave him an awkward nod in response. "And these are my children, Luke," Luke shook Gaard's hand, smiling, "and Leia." Leia did the same. Gaard's hands were rough and callused, and his grip firm, but Leia matched it. Her mother had taught her handshakes were very important and a big part of first impressions. Gaard was physically strong, a little rough around the edges perhaps, but nice enough. Not quite handsome, but close. His hair matched the Tatooine sand, but his eyes were a light blue.

"It's good to finally meet you." Gaard said as he led them indoors. "Dad said he figured you wouldn't come back after what happened last time you were here. He supposed you'd probably been killed during the Clone Wars."

"No, but it was a close thing, in a lot of ways." Obi-Wan threw Anakin a funny glance, which Leia couldn't quite read. The Clone Wars were something of a touchy subject with her father, whose experiences were not easy for him to recount. She knew that her father had been tempted by the dark side, and nearly succumbed to it, although the exact details of his journey had always been left a little vague. What she did understand clearly was that it was still something he struggled with on a daily basis, two decades later.

Beru was in the kitchen, preparing something that smelled absolutely delicious. A home cooked meal, Leia thought, 'when was the last time I ate one of those?' Last visit to Grandma's probably. Neither of her parents was much at making meals, and frankly none of them had time. She was used to quick instant stuff and Jedi rations.

"Mom, we've got some visitors, all the way from Coruscant, if you believe it." Beru didn't even turn around, she just laughed.

"Now Gaard don't be ridiculous, who do we know who lives on Coruscant?"

"Hello Beru." Anakin said, a small grin appearing at the corner of his mouth. She stopped chopping mushrooms, and turned, very slowly at the sound of his voice. Familiar, yes, but older, more mature than the last time she had heard it. She looked at the Jedi, his shaggy curls, his blue eyes, muscular build, and scarred face. She squinted at him, and then realization dawned.

"Anakin?" She asked tentatively, and he allowed a real smile. "Oh my goodness! I…It's been forever." She came over, and gave him a quick hug. "We thought you were dead."

"Not yet." He said.

"Oh my. Owen will be very surprised to see you, but pleased I think. Are these your children?"

"All except for the old man." He grinned at Obi-Wan, who returned the wry smile even as he rolled his eyes.

"I'm Leia, this is my brother Luke." They greeted their Aunt, who seemed ecstatic at the prospect of some new relatives.

"And I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi. The old man, as Anakin so kindly put it."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you all. I think Owen and Porter should be back any minute. If you care to sit down, the food will be ready shortly."

"Thank you." They sat with Gaard, and he talked with the twins about racing.

"You never tire of the subject, do you?" Obi-Wan asked as the three youngsters debated whether the Delta starfighter could outfly a Correlian corvette.

"No." Luke replied matter of factly; then turned back to his argument. "I still say it has more to do with the pilot than the ship. I mean, take Dad for instance. He could outfly a corvette in a hover taxi."

"Don't exaggerate."

"Alright, a supped up hover taxi."

"I don't doubt it." A voice said from the doorway.

"Owen!" Anakin stood an embraced his stepbrother. "It's so good to see you again."

"It's been far too long, my friend."

"Nearly twenty years, if you can believe it."

"Has it really been that long?"  
"I'm afraid so. We've really gotten that old too."

"Ha. You'll never get old; you still look like a kid to me."

"I sometimes wish I still was." And Anakin's voice took on a different tone when he said that, it made Owen pause for an instant. Then Porter came in. He looked in a lot of ways like his brother, but younger, maybe 15 or so. His eyes were wide with excitement when he saw the Jedi at his dinner table. He couldn't hold back a smile, and mumbled to himself.

"Biggs is never going to believe this."

"This is Porter, my youngest boy. A bit overeager sometimes, but what kid isn't?" Anakin shook his hand, introduced him to the twins and Obi-Wan. Then they all sat down to eat. Porter was practically trembling with excitement at the prospect of having two of the most powerful Jedi Masters in the galaxy sitting across the table from him, as well as their padawans.

"So, you live on Coruscant?" Luke nodded as he ate. "Wow. What's it like there?"

"Well, it's…I don't know. It's Coruscant; you really have to see it to know what it's like."

"Basically the polar opposite of Tatooine." Gaard said.

"You've never been there!"

"Well, Biggs always says that if there is a bright center to the universe than this is the planet farthest from, and Coruscant _is_ the bright center of the universe."

"Like Luke said, it's kind of hard to explain. But basically the entire planet is just one huge city. I mean, everyone lives hundreds of meters above the ground, which no one has seen for hundreds of years. Even the sub-levels are nowhere close to original bedrock or anything. I think 500 Republica is the only building on the entire planet that has a natural foundation."

"500 Republica. Isn't that where a lot of the Senators live?"

"Yeah."

"You ever been there?" Leia couldn't help but laugh.

"We _live_ there."

"You _live_ in 500 Republica?"

"Yep." Luke said.

"But, I didn't think they even paid Jedi. How can you afford that?"

"Our mother is the senior Senator from Naboo."

"Is she the same young woman that was here with you before, Anakin?" Beru inquired.

"Yes. Padme's been the leader of Naboo's delegation for over two decades now."

"So she was already a senator when we met her." Anakin nodded.

"You never mentioned it."

"I had been assigned to protect her. I didn't think it prudent to reveal her identity on a place like Tatooine. You can understand."

"Yes. Yes indeed."

"So, why exactly have they sent you here? I mean, I assume you are on some kind of mission."

"The Jedi Council assigned me to negotiate a disagreement with the local gangsters because of my "extensive knowledge of the area." At least, that's what they told me."

"Ah, so they've finally sent someone to deal with old Jabba."

"How did you guess?"

"Well, that will be a task. He controls everything around here."

"I know, but he's extended his reach enough to cause concern in the Republic. He's taken several important business owners hostage and is threatening to start a gang war if his demands aren't met. I don't doubt he has the influence to do it. So they sent us to deal with him before things get out of control. I don't want to see a repeat of the Clone Wars."

"But they made you a hero." Porter piped up. Anakin turned his head sharply, a stern but pained look on his face. Leia watched her father carefully, knowing that her cousin had unwittingly touched a nerve.

"Very little of what I did during those years should be considered heroic. War never made anyone great."

"Well, everyone thinks you're a hero."

"That's because everyone is disillusioned to the reality that I lived during those three years. They were the darkest of my life; those days were harder than ten years of enslavement. If it made me a hero, as you say it did, than it was at a terrible price. I nearly lost everything…everyone." They were all staring at him now, somewhat uncomfortably. Porter seemed to realize he'd made a mistake and hung his head. Anakin noticed and spoke. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to rant like that. This place drudged up a lot of unhappy memories."

"Understandably so, Anakin. Don't worry about it." Beru reassured him, but Anakin remained pensive for the rest of the meal. Leia watched him carefully; she hadn't seen him this withdrawn before. When supper ended, she followed him outside. As she watched, he went over to the little grave plot and knelt before one of the headstones. She was about to go to him when she realized he was crying; very softly, but definitely crying. She turned, and went back in, descending into the room she was sharing with Luke. Her brother was already there, carefully folding his Jedi robes after changing into more comfortable clothes for sleeping.

"Hey." He greeted her as she entered. "Where were you?"

"Just went to get some fresh air."

"Yeah, well, if you're going to take a shower tonight, be warned, the pressure and temperature aren't exactly consistent. And the water here tastes funny, don't you think?"

"Why, did you drink your shower?"

"You know what I mean. At supper, it was like drinking sand flavored water."

"That's because everything here gets sand in it." Leia remarked, as she dumped the sandy contents of her boots out into the trash. Then she began to laugh to herself.

"What's so funny?" Luke asked.  
"I was just thinking: How did Mom ever survive this place?"


	3. Chapter 1, Part 3

As the dual suns rose over the dunes of Tatooine, Luke emerged from the little homestead into the fresh morning air. He walked out a ways towards the sunrise, about a hundred meters from the homestead itself and began his morning meditation. He relished this ritual, greeting the start of each day no matter what world he was on, awakening his mind and body, attuning himself to the Force. His father mediated too, but usually only when he was troubled, and Leia, well, she liked to say the best morning meditations she ever had were between two sheets in a comfy bed. Indeed, that was where she was now, still sounds asleep in the cool room below.

Luke felt the Force flow through his body, focusing his mind and his muscles. After some vigorous stretching, he relaxed into a seated position and felt his face grow steadily warmer as the suns continued their ascent into the sky. As his concentration deepened, his mind began to drift, filling with images.

Thousands of light-years away, he saw his mother in her office on Coruscant, busily sorting through a stack of holopads, most likely proposed bills to be addressed by the Senate later that day. But as he watched her, he saw her pause for a moment and look longingly at a holocube she kept on her desk at all times, which flashed images of their family photos. For a brief second he felt her pang of loneliness through the Force, but then his mind moved to other things. The scene returned to Tatooine, and he saw Tuskan raiders converge on a helpless woman and carry her away, and then his father, not as Luke knew him now, but as a small boy, running into the arms of this same woman, but then his vision became overcast. A chill ran down his spine as the Force visions took on a sinister character. Luke saw his father again, older now, a young man. But emanating from him was hate, and pure rage such as Luke had never known. In the path of his father's fury Luke saw shifting images: droids, Tuskan raiders, a Sith Lord. But then the image before him shifted shape again, switching quickly from Master Obi-Wan, to his mother, to Leia, and finally, to himself, all helpless before the power of the great Jedi Master. And he saw his father, lightsaber raised, prepared to kill…from somewhere came the sound of a horrible, mechanical breathing…

"Luke?"

The voice jarred Luke out of his mediation. Luke realized as he came back into the present that he was sweating and his breathing came in sharp gasps. He raised his hand and saw that it was shaking. He rose hastily, shoving his hands in his pockets and turned to face his master, who stood a few feet from him, a look of concern etched on his face.

"Are you all right?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Luke lied quickly; knowing that Obi-Wan wouldn't be fooled but not willing to talk to him about what he had seen either. Obi-Wan gave Luke a look that told him he wasn't convinced, but didn't press the matter. "Breakfast is ready," was all he said, turning back towards the homestead, and Luke followed, trying to clear what he had seen from his mind. Luke knew that the visions a Jedi sometimes had during meditation were not absolute truths, that they were often symbolic or incomplete images, but he was still shaken. Was his father capable of that kind of evil? Could he have killed with such malice, such unbridled rage? Could he have destroyed their family? Luke wanted to feel sure he knew the answers to these questions, but the sick feeling in his stomach was making it hard to feel certain.

The feeling dwindled a bit as he descended the steps behind Obi-Wan into the dining room, where he saw his father, perfectly normal, passing Leia the Bantha milk and chatting good-naturedly with Owen. _No_, Luke thought, _the vision must be about something else. _And he pushed it away into the recesses of his mind as he joined his family at the table.

"Obi-Wan found you I see?" Anakin asked as Luke sat down, nodding. "Be careful leaving the house that early, the Tuskan raiders won't have any qualms about snatching you if you wander too far from the homestead." His father warned.

"Don't worry Dad. I'm sure I could handle them."

"Your father is right, you must be mindful of your surroundings Luke, Tatooine is a dangerous planet. Don't overestimate your abilities to overcome those dangers."

"Yes, Master."

The breakfast foods soon disappeared from the table, and while the Lars family began the word day on their moisture farm, the four Jedi bade farewell to them and set out in the speeder for the Mos Eisley spaceport.


End file.
